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Show MALUKU Y. J DIPLOMATIC PACKET. 163 the pieces, and colored yellow. A shack of the maize, one end of which, rolled in the shape of a cone, is bound up by cotton strings, with a small bird's feather, in the manner of the symbolio pipe. There is also tied up with the symbolic sticks, one of the secondary feathers and bits of down of a bird of dingy color. The feather is naturally tipped with white. Together with this, the tie holds a couple of Bticks of a native plant or small seed of the prairie grass, perhaps. It may, together with the husk of the maize, be emblematic of their cultivation. The whole of the tie represents the Moquis. The following cut, B, [ reproduced in Figure 64,] represents this symbol: The third object is, in every respect, like B, [ reproduced in Figure 64,] and symbolizes the President of the United StateB. A colored cotton cord, four feet long, unites these symbols. Six inches of this cord is small and white. At the point of its being tied to the long colored cord there is a bunch of small bird's feathers. This bunch, which symbolizes the geographical position of the Navajoes, with respect to Washington, consists of the feathers of six species, the colors which are pure white, blue, brown, mottled, yellow, and dark, like the pigeon- hawk, and white, tipped with brown. ( See the preceding cut, C.) The interpreter appends to these material effigies or devices [ which are arranged as in D, reproduced in Figure 66] the following remarks. " These two figures represent the Moqui people and the President; the cord is the road which separates them; the feather tied to the oord is the meeting point; that FIG. 66.- Part of diplomatic packet part of the cord which is white is intended to signify the distance between the President and tlie place of meeting; and that part which is stained is the distance between the Moqui and the same point. Your Excellency will perceive that the distance be* tween the Moqui and place of meeting is short, while the other is very long. E FIG. 67.- Part of diplomatic packet " The last object of this communication from the high plains of New Mexico, is the most curious, and themost strongly indicative of the wild, superstitious notions of the* |